ScreeningXavier and Noelia

Portugal. Dir. Manuel Mozos. 1991/2002, 100 mins. 35mm. With Pedro Hestnes, Cristina Carvalhal, José Meireles. The troubled title character of Xavier (Hestnes, star of Pedro Costa’s O Sangue) returns to Lisbon after a military stint, determined to lead a meaningful life, only to find his world closing in on him. This almost lost classic of recent Portuguese cinema was shot in 1991 but only completed in 2002, and has barely been seen outside Portugal since. Deadpan and dreamy, it is a work of bone-deep melancholy, a young man’s film that bears the scars of age.

Preceded by:
Noelia
Argentina. Dir. María Alché. 2012, 14 mins. DCP. Seemingly abandoned, a young woman walks through the porous city of Buenos Aires with her camera, finding potential mothers at every turn.

Free with Museum admission. A First Look series pass, allowing the holder admission to the Museum and all First Look screenings for the run of the series, is available for $40. Order online or call 718 777 6800.